Main Page Guided Tours Map Email   Moytura The First Battle Cath Maigh Tuireadh The Kingship of Breas The Arrival of Lugh Climax of the Battle   A fuller version....... The First Battle

Moytura, Co Sligo. Many beautiful men fell there in the stall of death. Great was the slaughter and the grave-lying which took place there. Pride and shame were there side by side. There was anger and indignation. Abundant was the stream of blood over the white skin of young warriors mangled by the hands of bold men while rushing into danger for shame. Harsh was the noise made by the multitude of warriors and champions protecting their swords and shields and bodies while others were striking them with spears and swords. Harsh too the tumult all over the battlefield - the shouting of the warriors and the clashing of bright shields, the swish of swords and ivory-hilted blades, the clatter and rattling of the quivers, the hum and whirr of spears and javelins, the crashing strokes of weapons. 'The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition', Steve Blamires, 1992 The Battle of Maigh Tuireadh is the central story, the Jewel in the Crown of Irish mythology. It is a great epic tale of combat between the forces of Light and Darkness. The story was recorded in two versions in the sixteenth century; both of these, though they differ in some respects, follow the same thread which is thought to be based on a twelfth century manuscript. This in turn is known to be based on an ancient oral tradition which probably stretches back thousands of years. There are several folklore versions of the Battle, in particular Lady Gregory's version in Gods and Fighting Men. Here I offer my current version of this wonderful myth. First we should clear up a few matters in relation to the story. As many will know, there were two mythological Battles involving the Túatha Dé Danann, and this has sometimes given rise to confusion. The Túatha Dé Danann are said to have arrived in Ireland in magical ships which they burned upon arrival. One version has them arriving on Lough Corrib in Co. Galway, which is beside the site of the First Battle at Cong. The other landing site was the hulking mountain of Sliabh an Iarann in Co Leitrim, which is not far to the east of Lough Arrow, the site of the Second Battle. If they landed on Sliabh an Iarann, they certainly must have had flying ships as it is quite a high mountain. I favour both landing sites - there is no reason why they might not have landed in two waves. This archetypal myth appears in many cultures. It is found in India, Babylon and the Old Testament, and in more recent times has directly inspired J.R.R Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Julian May and George Lucas in their respective works, The Lord of the Rings, Dune, The Saga of the Exiles and Star Wars. Left, Balor of the Evil Eye lays them low on Moytura. By Simon Bisley from 2000 AD.